


Hurt (Better Now than Later)

by Aurrus



Series: Lie (Is Everything We've Done) [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-21
Updated: 2013-05-21
Packaged: 2017-12-12 12:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/811802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurrus/pseuds/Aurrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki asks Thor of a favor before it's too late because he'd rather see Tony Stark hating him than heartbroken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hurt (Better Now than Later)

Loki appears from a shadow, takes a step forward and nods, as if it’s alright, as if he wasn’t avoiding his brother for the last year or so. Thor nods, if stiffly, in an answer, not daring to question Loki's appearance yet.

“Brother,” Loki greets, and Thor’s heart breaks a little. So much time has passed since he has heard the sentiment; so much time since they were brothers.

“I need a favor to ask of you,” Loki continues, and there’s nothing Thor could do other than nod again and gesture to his room.

Loki silently follows.

When the door is closed securely behind them, Loki slumps a little, and Thor quickly averts his gaze not to look at his brother when he looks so… vulnerable. It pains him to see Loki like this, and there are so many reasons behind his pain. One of them is knowing that Loki spends many nights in the same building but never cares to show up and talk, to announce his presence even. He’s with Stark, but he is still considered an enemy, and Thor doesn’t care, but Loki does. Does he think Thor would immediately capture him to bring back to Asgard as he must? It is his duty, yes, but Thor wouldn’t do it to his brother without any warning.

Still, Loki avoids him. Loki avoids all of them except his mortal lover, and somehow the things work just fine this way. Nobody is pleased with Stark and Stark is probably far from being pleased with Loki when he doesn’t diminish his attacks on the city, but it works. Thor wouldn’t admit he’s jealous, but maybe he is; he wants to be the one on Loki’s side, he wants to be his brother again, to understand him, to give him second chance – but this place is taken, and all he can do is hope for the better.

This is why his heart swells painfully in his chest at the sight of Loki before him.

“I listen,” he says, motioning for Loki to take a seat and stiffly sitting at the edge of his bed.

Loki looks at the window, and the silence is too long to be comfortable, but then again, the whole situation isn’t the one to be called anything relatively close to comfortable, so Thor doesn’t interrupt it and just waits patiently. Patience is not one of his strongest sides, but he’s learning, and if Loki needs time, he will give him time.

“I am to be imprisoned or executed upon our return to Asgard,” he finally whispers, and Thor jolts.

“Brother…”

“No,” Loki quickly holds up one hand, and Thor is silent again, watching his brother’s face harden in the gloom street’s light that made its way from outside. “Please, listen to me. I know my sentence won’t be pleasant, and the longer I’m here, the harsher it would be.”

Thor can’t even deny that because that is true. They both know Loki wouldn’t come off clear.

“That’s why I need to ask you of something,” Loki repeats firmly, and this time their eyes lock together. Thor nods eagerly – there’s so little he could do for Loki, but he’ll do anything in his power. Loki takes a deep breath, and there’s gratitude in his eyes, though it is, too, painful to see.

“In return,” he says slowly, “I’ll go with you freely.” 

That’s not what Thor expected, but he asks nevertheless:

“What do you need me to do, brother?”

“When we fight next time, make it so Anthony hears that my wife is waiting for my return.”

And with those simple words Thor is stunned to silence, gaping at Loki, who suddenly grins manically. 

“Is it too much to ask? Even one small lie is too much for you?”

“But,” Thor frowns; he doesn’t understand. “But you and Sigyn --”

“A _lie_ , Thor,” Loki interrupts him impatiently. “I ask you to _lie_.”

Still, he can’t understand.

“Why?” Why does he need to lie about _that_? Loki and Sigyn have long since parted, and while they are still in good relations, they no longer can be called a husband and wife. 

Loki’s face, annoyed by Thor’s lack of understanding, suddenly drops, and he grimaces, turning away once again.

“Because it would hurt him,” he answers, and his voice is rough and raw and why would he want to hurt Stark is beyond Thor’s – “Because he would hate me then, if he thinks he was but my plaything. He would hate me and despise me and would never know of my true sentence.”

On the last words sharp green eyes pierce Thor to the place, and he nods as if in a trance, realizing he has just made a promise only when Loki lets out a relieved breath. 

“You don’t have to do it,” Thor tries carefully, but his words are met with laugh.

“You know as well as me, _brother_ , that this is just stalling for time – I _will_ be punished, sooner or later, but I will. And this fool, Thor,” Loki laughs, and it sounds almost hysterical, the way his eyes glint, the way his lips are stretched over his teeth, bared in a distorted grin, the way he pants for air – “This fool becomes too fond of me, and if he knows, it… it would break him.”

He’s silent just as abruptly as he started to laugh, and his face is sad and serious once again. 

“I’d rather see his hatred than his sorrow over me,” Loki whispers so quietly Thor almost misses it, and with his head hung so low it’s impossible to say what Loki feels at the moment, but whatever it is, it is not for Thor to look at. He understands, for once, and keeps his eyes on his hands.

Loki is trickster and a liar, but his deals have never been not for him, but for someone else, and Thor has a dreadful feeling that Loki isn’t lying.

And that Tony isn’t the only one who developed certain… feelings.

There are so many questions he wants to ask Loki, but he settles for one he doesn’t want to ask at all.

“When?”

“Tomorrow,” Loki answers immediately. “I… don’t want to wait anymore.”

If he doesn’t want to hurt Tony more or afraid of not being able to leave later, Thor doesn’t know and doesn’t ask. 

It pains him to no end to see Loki like this, but at the same time he smiles – a tiny, sad smile. For how persistent Loki was claiming he will never change, he has changed, drastically so. He has changed, but still he doesn’t get a chance to be happy.

He has to leave everything that made him a better person behind to prove just that. ‘Unfair’ isn’t even close to describing it, but Loki is determined, and so is Thor. Loki entrusted him with his own vulnerability, and he wouldn’t betray his trust.

“I will do it,” he promises. He wants to say something else, but Loki just nods tensely and disappears with almost non-existent ‘thank you’.

Loki is silent the next day when Thor takes him back, has been since his talk with Anthony, but his jaws are clenched tight, and his eyes are doubtful and hurt, but he never tries to turn back. 

He never once glances in the direction of Stark’s Tower.

**Author's Note:**

> So... This is probably how it ends, because as much as I'd love to drop everything and write at least one more fic with happy ending to these series, it would probably kill the angst and make it pure crack. Then again, I'm not usually into angst and anyway, it's not such a good angst to be saved from fluff, eh... So I'm still not sure yet.   
> Anyway, thank you for reading!


End file.
